Iron Bisglycinate

Iron deficiency is the most common micronutrient deficiency worldwide. Ferrous sulfate is the standard supplement form, but it comes with well-documented problems at therapeutic doses: constipation, dark stool, nausea, and metallic taste. These side effects cause non-compliance in the patients and populations that need supplementation most: pregnant women, menstruating women, and children.

Iron bisglycinate premix. Off-white fine powder, organoleptically neutral.

Iron bisglycinate solves the GI problem through two mechanisms. First, the bisglycinate chelation protects the iron molecule from oxidative interactions with dietary inhibitors (phytates in grains, tannins in tea and coffee, calcium) that would otherwise block absorption. This is why bisglycinate has higher bioavailability from complex food matrices. Second, the chelated form is absorbed via the dipeptide transporter pathway largely intact, so less free iron reaches the large intestine to cause oxidative disruption.

The no-metallic-taste profile matters for formulators building food-grade iron fortification into beverages, cereals, and bars. Ferrous sulfate and other sulfate-based forms contribute strong metallic flavor that limits their use in taste-sensitive applications. Iron bisglycinate is organoleptically neutral at standard inclusion levels.